The overall goal of this program is to train fellows in areas of basic research relevant to Pediatric Infectious Diseases. The fellowship is designed as an intensive laboratory-based research training program with years of protected laboartory time and 1 year of clinical training. The volume of the clinical service is modest so fellows are often able to stay involved with their research activities during their clinical rotations. Faculty with successful basic research programs will serve as laboratory mentors. These faculty, selected from the Departments of Pediatrics, Medicine and Microbiology and Immunology, have a documented history of productive collaborative research. In addition, these laboratory mentors have all been actively involed in training pediatric fellows in projects to pediatric inrfectious diseases. The training program constists of: 1) three years of full-time research under the direction of one of the laboratory mentors; 2) an organized series of graduate-level courses, lectures, seminars, journal clubs, and other conferences; 3) regular presentation of research in progress for constructive criticism; and 4) involvement in ongoing clinical activities with the Division of Pdiatric Infectious Diseases (qualifying fellows to sit for Board certification). Successful fellows wishing an additional year of research training witll be supported by the Department of Pediatrics. Trainees will select research areas in basic microbiology or immunology, molecular biology, or virology for their laboratory training. As the program's past training record indicates, this training program will produce well-trained physicial-scientists who are capable of developing their own independent research programs. RELEVANCE: Infectious diseases continue to present a major public health risk. This proposal seeks to provide a direct benefit to public health by training the next generation of scientists that seek to prevent, diagnose and treat infectious diseases in the pediatric population.